Raja Krishnamoorthi gains backing from suburban, downstate mayors in Senate bid

Raja Krishnamoorthi gains backing from suburban, downstate mayors in Senate bid

A coalition of suburban and downstate mayors has come together to endorse Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) in the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate.

CHICAGO - A coalition of suburban and downstate mayors has come together to endorse Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) in the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate.

What we know:

The list of 20 municipal leaders includes mayors from Krishnamoorthi’s home base of Schaumburg, as well as West Peoria, near where he grew up.

"I am honored to have the support of this long and growing list of mayors from across Illinois who spend every single day fighting for their residents," said Krishnamoorthi in a news release. "Local leaders know their communities better than anyone, and I have been proud to fight on behalf of these mayors and their communities throughout my time in Congress."

WASHINGTON - AUGUST 22: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., speaks during the final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday, August 22, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Also on the list of municipalities: Oak Brook, Addison, Bedford Park, and Moline. Former Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico has endorsed Krishnamoorthi as well.

"With roots downstate and a clear track record of delivering for Illinois, he’s the kind of fighter that Moline needs," said that city’s mayor, Sangeetha Rayapati, in the same campaign release.

Dig deeper:

Krishnamoorthi has raised eyebrows with his prolific fundraising ability – reporting $19 million in campaign money on hand before he even announced his candidacy. He faces two other declared candidates: Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, who has received high-profile endorsements from Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, and South Side and south suburban Congresswoman Robin Kelly.

Earlier this week, Naperville Congresswoman Lauren Underwood announced that she would not be getting into the Senate race, and would instead run for reelection in her competitive House district.

Editor's note: We originally reported the current mayor of Naperville endorsed Raja, when in fact it was the former mayor.